The Significance of Yesterday’s Elections

Image cribbed shamelessly from Vanderleun’s trip back to the 60s.

Stoutcat

Why Obama? Well, What Are People Watching on TV?

 

Back in 1826, famed epicure Brillat-Savarin wrote, “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.” (Actually, he wrote “Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es,” but since I don’t speak French, I had to translate.)  This of course has morphed down to the more simplistic “you are what you eat.” But these days, even that has changed. I posit that we no longer are what we eat; instead, we are what we watch on TV.

Given all that’s been written about Obama, and all his shady acquaintances, his inexperience, his liberal voting record, his refusal to admit that the surge worked, and especially how he emerged from a Congress with a lower approval rating than even Dubya, I wondered why America did in fact elect Obama? There are a couple of obvious reasons.

First, America is ready for a black president. (That sort of goes without saying at this point.) Also, anything hyped anti-Bush was a surefire winner. But why Obama? I can see a mandate of the people ushering in Colin Powell – that would make perfect sense… But Obama? So, how can we get even the slightest clue as to where the nation’s “mind is at”?

The indicator I chose was the stuff of the dreaded one-eyed, cable-connected, living room brain bandit – yes, the TV. More accurately, I suffered through the listings for all 800+ cable networks/feeds and in doing so tried to form a “Vulcan Mind Meld” with the American Psyche. Observations…

• First, this was terribly unscientific and subjective. I’ll grant you that. But at the same time I hope you grant me a bit of insight derived via that painful experiment.
• Next, somebody owes me big time! There is so much pap on TV that just looking at the listings hurt. Whole lot of wincing was going on.
• I came up with 25 impromptu categories comprised of 282 networks, and I’ll save you the hassle of dragging through all that muck. Here are just a few of the highlights and lowlights.
  • The good stuff was restricted to: military info (1), news (14), financial news (2), weather (5), history (2), home and garden (9), Science (3), and that’s about it.
  • Beyond the good stuff, there were more or less harmless networks: sports (49, though some may be “dupes”), religion (5), nature (3), fitness (3), children (11), family (5), movie (49, though virtually every one was a stinker), and women’s issues (11)
  • And now we get to the lowlights – the stuff destined to an 8th-grade reading level and a 12th-grade libido (wrestling, soap operas, “reality TV”, insipid game shows, the gross, the mindlessly violent, “music” videos, etc.) (100).
  • Last but not least, there were 10 porn cable networks.

So what does it all break down to? Without applying useless stats, it does indicate one very clear fact – based on my “you are what you watch” hypothesis, a significant chunk of our society is stuck on stupid, to borrow from Gen. Honore. We are what we know we are but afraid to face it – a culture of “Deal or No Deal”, the “Cheetah Girl”, and Britney Spears. We’re Anna Nichole and OJ, and for the most part, we don’t have a clue about math, science, engineering, or even government or civics for that matter. We’re lemmings who actually fawn in packs for pet rocks and the Fonz and disco and rap and grunge. We’re the moral, artistic, and social relativists who are fat enough and secure enough to actually suck up to TV like “Sex in the City”, MTV, BET and call it “good”.

In short, we are a culture miles wide and one-quarter of an inch deep. Doubt it? Turn on your TV and surf. Better yet, consider this: When all was said and done, the very best we could come up with in ‘08 was a shiny Obama/Biden and a flat-finish McCain/Palin – two hucksters, a flip flopper and an idiot.

But I hear the rebuttal brewing already…

Get real dude, just look at how they come across on the HD TV…

That’s how Obama got elected.

Alan Speakman

Finding The Silver Lining In Obama’s Victory

We here at Grand Rants have been unabashedly against the idea of electing Barack Obama President. Over the past few months, we’ve stated our case and we stand by it. Speaking for myself, I’m still not convinced he’s qualified. There’s a huge difference between running a campaign and running the country the world looks to for hope and inspiration. I hope he has the goods to deliver. Also, I’m still not convinced that he even has a pro-democracy agenda. I look forward to being proven wrong. But it will be his actions and not his rhetoric that will provide the answer to that question.

Stoutcat has already offered the President-elect our congratulations. While I echo that sentiment, I do so with no sour grapes, but with a few caveats:

This is a historic moment for this country, Mr. President-Elect. It is also especially meaningful to minorities everywhere. You have proven the dream IS attainable through hard work. Savor the moment, for you have worked tirelessly to achieve a great victory, not just personally, but for all minority types.

Be advised, however, you did not get elected with a decisive mandate. You wound up with virtually the same number of votes that George W. Bush received 4 years ago. As such, and whether it’s fair or not, as the first President of African American descent, you carry the burden of having to reach a higher bar in the eyes of some just as Jackie Robinson had to be the best he could be when he was the first African American allowed to play baseball. I am confident you have the intelligence to do this.

It is extroadinarily important you truly represent the best interests of the United States. Your victory last night is not the end of your journey, but the beginning. More important, it is also the start of an era you will be credited for creating. Please. Keep this in mind every day. As an American who has served this country in time of war, I will respect and support you just as long as you honor our constitution and fairly represent the interest of ALL Americans.

This campaign was long, and both sides assaulted our senses every day. How, then, do you look for a silver lining amongst all the negatives of this election? Well, consider:

• He’s just completely (and forever) blown away any shred of lingering doubt as to whether a person of ANY race, color or creed can aspire to the number one job in the country. Done deal.
• This means he’s also eliminated the excuse so many have fallen back on as an excuse for not making the effort to be successful. Never again, can the excuse be used, “I can’t make it because I’m (fill in the minority of your choice).” Obama has delivered the truth: “Yes you can.” But it takes more than “Hope.” It takes commitment and effort just as it does for anyone else.
• Many other nations today look at America in a better light today. Right or wrong, George Bush’s handling of the middle east has been abysmal and it has caused serious concern in many European Nations. With the election of Obama, we are setting expectations in those nations that imply we can be a better world partner. However, the pressure will be on Obama to maintain that. If he pulls our troops out of Iraq before they are ready to defend themselves, it will only embolden any radical Muslim cells in other countries.

That said, I am NOT encouraged by what lies ahead politically for the United States. During the campaign, little by little (and no thanks to the liberal mainstream media) Obama’s agenda has been brought to light. It includes such things as:

• Re-distribution of wealth
• Re-implementation of The Fairness Doctrine (more likely to be the result of “Nazi” Pelosi’s agenda)
• Employee Free Choice Act
• Freedom of Choice Act
• Cap and Trade
• Changes to the Second Amendment (i.e. GUN CONTROL)
• Increased Taxes (camouflaged as “income tax cuts”)
• Windfall Profits Tax for corporations.
• Dismantle the Coal Industry (knowing that it will cause our energy bills to – in his own words – “Skyrocket)”
• Yada-Yada

How much of that agenda he’s able to realize remains to be seen.

All in all, I’m happy that America has given its vote of confidence to an African American. We have broken the final barrier and it’s about time. Martin Luther King’s dream is now a reality. Or is it? In the end, I can’t help but wonder: was Obama elected based on the content of his character or simply because we needed “Change” from the abysmal job done by the current administration? Or was it simply the Rock Star manner in which he was promoted to us by his campaign? The margin of the popular vote (63.51 million for Obama VS 56.15 million for McCain, according to MSNBC) doesn’t give us a clear answer, but it doesn’t really matter at this point. Obama WON. He has been accepted and embraced as our next President. History has been made in that sense and I am proud to witness the crossing of that threshold. And I wish him the kind of success that will justify our confidence in him.

Good Luck, Mr. President-Elect. You have my support as far as wanting to give this country a new direction. I just hope your course of action protects our sovereignty and leaves our Constitution intact. I don’t question your intelligence one bit. You are an extraordinarily intelligent young man. I celebrate your historic accomplishment as a (partial) African-American. But it’s your political agenda alone reminding me that, “In front of every silver lining, there’s a dark cloud.”

Gerry Ashley

Biden: Would You Hire This Man and His Senior Business Partner?

It’s a very simple question. If you were running a powerful and very public company, would you hire Biden and whoever is his senior partner?

Now, don’t try to switch the subject and blather about Bush or McCain or Palin. (Though I doubt even Dubya could have messed up counting the number of letters in the word “jobs”.) Anyway, the title of this rant is: “Biden: Would You Hire This Man and His Senior Business Partner?” So just answer the question if you would be so kind.

I don’t know about your corporate background, but mine is pretty extensive. And my answer is, “Not in a million years.”

If you’ve read Grand Rants for any period of time, you know that I’m pretty disgusted with both parties at this point. If I had my way, I’d cancel the elections, make the Democratic ticket Powell/Lieberman, and make the Republican team Rice/Jindal. At least then we’d have someone to vote for. But I don’t have my way.

Look… Maybe I’m asking the wrong question. Let’s try the following four questions, and I’ll put in my answers.

Would you buy a used car from Barack? No way.

Would you buy a used car from Joe? Are you kidding?

Would you buy a used car from John? Yes I would.

Would you buy a used car from Sarah? Maybe.

The positions these people are running for are the most important on earth. I expect decency, honesty, thoughtfulness, clarity of vision, a bit of humility, a rock-solid value system, sobriety, true courage, and the talent for both thinking and learning on the run. But that’s just me.

Ultimately they’ll be working for you and me, and tomorrow we have to hire two of four people. Choose your employees wisely.

Alan Speakman

This just coming in on the news… Barack Obama’s Grandmother has passed. Grand Rants sends out its thoughts and prayers to Mr. Obama and his family.

Et Tu, Colin Powell?

There comes a point in time when a boxer knows enough not to answer the bell for the next round. When John McCain woke up Sunday morning, he must have felt something like that boxer.  For on Sunday morning, former Bush administration Secretary of State Colin Powell officially announced he was endorsing Barack Obama for President.  The announcement was made on NBC’s Meet The Press.

As McCain points out, he has the endorsements several other secretaries of state. But make no mistake: This one hit McCain hard.

It’s hit me hard also, but more as a point of curiosity: What on earth could have caused Powell to jump to Obama? Have I (and millions of other conservatives) misread Obama?

Maybe we have failed to recognize genious amongst us.

Maybe we have misunderstood the signs of the return of the Messiah.

Maybe Colin Powell had the epiphany that has somehow managed to avoid us.

Maybe Powell sees that Obama IS, in fact, just what this country needs to get back on track, restore our image in the rest of the world and regain our international standing…

Naaahhh…  I just think someone slipped something into Powell’s Metamucil. At least that enables me to think Powell hasn’t completely lost his mind.

Underdogs Gain, Draw Inspiration From Red Sox?

 

I’m a native of the Boston Massachusetts area. I’ve been a long-time fan of and believer in the Boston Red Sox. Even during the years when they somehow managed to always find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, I’ve never given up on them. So it’s been tough this past week as they play against the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League Championship and the right to represent the American League in the World Series.

Ok, so what the hell does this have to do with the McCain and Obama campaigns? Let me try to explain the connection. The Red Sox are down three games to one in the best-of-seven series. If they lose tonight, they are done for the season and Tampa Bay will go on to the World Series.

With less than three weeks to go to the election, Senator John McCain finds himself in somewhat of a similar position. He’s been getting ridiculed on a nightly basis since he blew off an appearance on Late Night With David Whinerman Letterman.

But one of the great things about America is that every so often there comes along a person or a team that just won’t accept defeat. And while it’s true that one victory doesn’t win a war, sometimes it provides the shift in momentum that carries the spirit of others necessary to push on to victory in the end.

We saw this several years ago when the Yankees had the Red Sox down three Games to NONE and the Red Sox came back to win four straight (and then won the world series in four straight as well).

Of course it takes a certain amount of luck. But it also takes the right kind of character to know what to do with the luck or how to handle the situation being faced.

So to say it’s over for McCain or the Red Sox is a bit prematu… wait a second…

Uh-oh… first inning at Fenway Park and the Rays have jumped all over the Red Sox pitcher for back to back home runs.

OK now where was I? If you only knew how long it takes between some sentences in these rants, you’d have a deeper appreciation for those of us who… hang on again… something else happening.

Damn! The Tampa Bay Rays have struck again in the third inning. It’s now Tampa Bay 5 Boston 0.

Anyway, Obama’s pretty much had things his way throughout the campaign. First, he has raised more money than any candidate in history, including funds from a questionable source outside the country. The media gave him a pass on that.

Criticize Obama and you’re automatically labeled a racist. Just “Unthink” and keep moving, folks.

The media isn’t interested in investigating Obama’s relationships with Reverand Wright, William Ayers or ACORN, but they’ll send hundreds of reporters to Sarah Palin’s town in Alaska to see if they can dig up something (literally) in her past. That’s OK? So much for a fair and balanced media.

But still McCain/Palin push on like the little engine that could; they know they have the right plan. But more importantly, they know Obama’s plan will lead us to economic ruin and, quite possibly, install socialism once he’s brought America to its knees politically and financially. And the (media) band plays on.

Uh-oh # 3: Top of the 7th inning in Boston and the Rays have struck again. It’s now 7-0. And I’ll bet Obama thinks he’s in the driver’s seat. Sometimes, being ahead at this point in the game is a bad thing. Why? America loves an underdog. And the true test of American Spirit is how we act when we are facing such a deficit. This is NOT the time to count the Red Sox out… or McCain/Palin… or America.

ACORN may have fraudulently turned in hundreds of thousands of bogus voter registrations in hopes of helping Obama (who has funneled over $800,000 to them to support their “fine work”). And Obama may have raised $200,000,000 from all sources including some that are very questionable. But Here’s the thing: It’s now the bottom of the 7th and the Red Sox have just scored 4 runs. And that’s gotten the Rays fans attention.

Obama thinks he’s so far ahead, he’s allegedly already picking out drapes for the white house. He’s probably also contemplating as to whether or not to replace the American Flag in the oval office with his ridiculous logo. Maybe he’s secure in the belief that nothing can stop the Obama express from adding the final piece to the perfect storm (an Obama Presidency coupled with a Democratic Congress). Well, if so, he might have just missed that the Red Sox have now tied the game in the 8th inning. The Tampa Bay Rays are suddenly stunned. The game was theirs. Now, it might as well be the top of the first again with the bases empty and no score! How could this have happened?

Indeed. The point is, never give up hope. Don’t give up on McCain/Palin. Obama is supposedly ahead in the polls. I can’t help but wonder if some of those non-existent voters were included in the polling?

We might see voter fraud (RICO) charges brought against someone in the Obama camp. But we shouldn’t count on fairness where non has appeared previously.

Besides: One should never depend on luck for anything. If you believe in a goal, fight for it. Work hard for it. And sometimes, you may discover you can do the impossible.

This Just In: The Boston Red Sox have just completed the greatest Post-season comeback in 79 years, beating the Tampa Bay Rays in the bottom of the 9th inning by a score of 8-7. Like I said, sometimes you may discover you can do the impossible. McCain and Palin believe it. The Boston Red Sox believe it. And now so do the Tampa Bay Rays.

How about you?

Gerry Ashley

Character Is More Than a Role in a Movie

 

As an adult, some of my most gut-wrenching experiences are when I hear a young child in real pain (i.e., physical injury, not merely the disappointment of not getting his/her way). I remember when my neighbor’s son was injured in a fall down the steps of his home. I happened to be working from home that day and his mother asked me to drive her and her son to the emergency room. When we got there, we discovered he suffered a concussion. He was treated, released, and within a couple of days, all was fine, thankfully.  But while we were waiting to be seen in the emergency room, he cried to his mother, “Make it stop hurting, Mommy!”

I admit I had to leave the room for a moment, because here was this young boy who didn’t understand what was happening. He knew it hurt, but didn’t know what to do to make it stop hurting and that’s when fear became the partner of pain. That combination almost always causes panic. 

His mother and I knew what happened, but not the extent of the damage or what the future held. Such was our dilemma: the fear of not knowing what the situation was or how it could be fixed. All we knew was that we’d have no answer until the doctor was able to see us. All of this is to say that it wasn’t just the injury to her son, but the fear of the unknown before us that caused us the most stress.

In a larger sense, it appears to me that our economy is like that little boy, teetering at the top of the steps. Will we fall over the edge? Time will tell, but the signs aren’t looking good at all. And there’s no “Mommy” at the bottom of the steps to “Make it stop hurting.” All there is at the bottom is a dark hole of uncertainty.

ACORN Offices Raided In Vegas – Will This Be Obama’s Watergate?

 

As  I write this, Nevada authorities are, hauling records out of the Las Vegas office of ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) looking for evidence of Voter Fraud.

Acorn is one of the “Community Organizations” that Barack Obama has been championing for years. ACORN has long been suspected of using various and dubious methods of registering voters (translation: Committing voter fraud) and in-your-face community confrontation methods with elected authorities… all using techniques straight from the Saul Alinsky course of community activism. They’re also known for strong-arm methods of getting “corporate contributions” for their community activism. Their methods would make Jessie Jackson blush.

Did I mention that Barack Obama was/is a “Leadership Trainer” in ACORN?

Had this raid come six months ago, it could have uncovered the iceberg that would sink the Titanic of the Obama campaign.  It will take time to gather and absorb the evidence, but what this DOES do is provide yet another spotlight on Obama’s choice of groups the Obama has consistantly (to use his favorite word) aligned himself with.  

Did I mention that ACORN is included in the funding as an add-on piece of pork to the $700 billion bail-out? Gee, I wonder what politician might have seen to it that jackpot of our tax dollars goes to this group? Fortunately, some sharp-eyed bloggers noticed, and by the next round, that little tid-bit was gone.

“Oh-Bama? You Got Some ‘Splaining To Do…”

My hope is the Vegas law enforcement will find enough to justify the call for a federal investigation to dig into ALL of ACORN’s local and national branches. 

ACORN stinks like a rotting fish… and I predict that Barack Obama is going to find it very hard to shake that stink, no matter how he spins this.

Gerry Ashley

Palin Awakens Sleeping Giant; McCain Energized For Home Stretch

 

Sarah Palin has been “the new kid on the block” since joining the campaign. Brought in for her spunk and willingness to take on any problem head-on was a stroke of genius. However, some idiot in the McCain campaign then decided they needed to “tone her down.” It didn’t work. The bump in the polls that came with her nomination speech quickly disappeared faster than our 401(k) plans. A week or so ago on this blog, I called for the return of Sarah Barracuda. I don’t know if the McCain campaign has discovered Grand Rants yet or not, but someone on the campaign got the message.

The result? The Barracuda is back! And in the past 24 hours, Palin has got the Obama campaign flummuxed. Palin is now putting Obama’s alignment with William Ayers under a magnifying glass illuminated by spotlights. She’s pointing out the obvious lies Obama has told over and over again about not being connected with Ayers. The Obama campaign is stumbling all over itself trying to find what new responses might stick against the wall. They are  having to resort to the race card, suggesting (through the left-wing media) tha Palin is racist. But the Ayers relationship is is now on the table and being discussed as it should be.

In short, the advantage Obama thought he had won by refusing to debate John McCain in “town-meeting” type debates is vanished. The gloves are off, and it’s the Barracuda that’s taken the first swipe. Take it to the bank (if it hasn’t been sold): it won’t be her last. It’s the best hope the McCain campaign has of stopping the momentum of the Obama campaign.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of Palin’s new aggressiveness: She seems to have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with resolve. Look for a much more confrontational John McCain in tonight’s debate.

Somewhere along the line, John McCain forgot rule number one in politics: Nice Guys Finish Last.  He’s been the candidate eqivalent of Winnie The Pooh. Even when he criticized Obama, it was with the soft voice of a gentleman who might as well have been whispering across the dinner table.  The result? He’s been coming across as an impotent old man in search of a bran muffin.

That John McCain underwent surgery last night for a spinal transplant. The surgery was performed by Dr. Sarah Barracuda. The operation was a success. The patient is fine. He’s up and walking around. And he’s already served notice today that he has a new theme song: “No More Mr. Nice Guy.”  Since yesterday, McCain has demonstrated his new aggressiveness. And why not? There are so many Obama misrepresentations (the politiclly correct term for lies) to choose from.

Tonight will most likely be “do or die” time for the McCain Campaign. There isn’t enough time left to recover from a poor performance. Like the Red Sox, McCain needs an aggressive late-inning performance. Nothing less will do. But it must be followed up daily with aggressive questioning aimed directly at Obama. If he does this, the spotlight shifts to Obama’s questionable ethics. We all know that Obama will respond by trying to link McCain with some scandal, but that’s the beauty of this tactic: McCain can honestly account for his actions (which will exhonerate him). Obama will have to resort to his usual evasive non-answers. But this is about the time the Undecided voters start to listen. And they won’t settle for the Obama two-step.

Gerry

Obama Prepares Re-education Camps?

So you say you want Obama for President because he offers “Change We Can Trust?”  There’s an old adage that states, “Be careful what you ask for. You might just get it.”

I had a dream the other day of an Obama Administration decree that all children would be enrolled into a training program, sponsored by tax dollars that “acclimates today’s children to tomorrow’s world.” The premise was rather than having to discover the changes for a new world, and then adapt to them, we should be the ones who establish the new world and then we will already be on top of things from the get-go.  In that dream, I criticized it and called it for what it is: A concentration camp. I was immediately apprehended and sent to a re-education facility. I was on my way there when I woke up dripping in sweat.

You decide. Right now. Because the very future of this country is riding on this election.

Click here to find out what is already in the planning stages.  This is not a bad dream.

Doesn’t  that video of the “Stepford Children’s Choir” singing their Obama song that was flooding the Internet give you some sort of hint as to what the future holds if he gets elected? Yes, the Obama team pulled it down after a few days. They may have realized that it tipped their hand.  But link above will confirm that first small step for you.

Speaking of the Stepford Children, I couldn’t help but think of a scary similarity in watching it. Apparently someone else noticed the same thing. Watch this and see if you don’t see a similarity.

By the way. the “other” singing children are from Communist North Korea. Still others have made reference to the creepy similarity of the singing youth scene in the movie “Cabaret.” And the latest example is this video. It just gets worse and worse.

Ten years ago, America squirmed uncomfortably as then-President Clinton debated over the definition of the word “Is” to determine whether he committed perjury.  Today, we had all better worry about exactly how Barack Obama defines the word “change.” Put him in the White House and we’ll all have to accept his definition. Worse, so will our children.

Gerry Ashley